Blackpool was the first municipality in the world to have electric street lights. It was around 1879 when large part of the promenade was wired. By then Blackpool was already fashionable as people enjoyed coming to the city to spend time by the sea, enjoy the beaches, the calming water and plenty of great accommodation alternatives. Today Blackpool is one of the most important location to visit in UK.
Blackpool Tower
The Blackpool Tower is the main attraction of Blackpool since its opening to the public in 1894. As other towers in the world, this is also inspired by the famous Eiffel Tower in Paris and it has an impressive height of 158 meters. Visiting the tower is a unique experience, as before the elevator guests get to watch a 4-D movie about Blackpool. From there passing through a room filled with memorabilia and old newspapers you finally get to the top, to what is now known as the famous Tower Eye. Two levels are accessible to the public: fist level with a glass wall for panoramic views over Blackpool and the sea; and the second level for those who want to feel the wind from up high. But what I personally like here is the Tower Ballroom. It dates from the end of the 19th century and it's a jewel to be admired and enjoyed. These days the Empress orchestra and the smaller Empress Dance Band perform on regular basis for all music lovers.
Blackpool Zoo
The Blackpool Zoo is the home of 1500 animals from all over the world: Asian elephants, gorillas, lemurs, giraffe etc. The pride of the zoo are the African lions and the Siberian tiger. There is even a Sea Lion Pool with Californian Sea Lions, and next to them the penguins that are so adorable. Interesting is also the fact that the Blackpool Zoo houses a Dinosaur Safari. It's a walk through area with over thirty life-size dinos, including the king - the T-Rex. What I love most in the Blackpool Zoo is the Miniature Railway. I have been always found of trains, and this found is a hidden gem in an totally unexpected place - a zoo. Very nice and a must to try out, even if you have to pay a bit extra on top of the zoo's entrance fee.
Blackpool Illuminations
I mentioned earlier that Blackpool is proud to be the first municipality in the world to have electric street lights.. So of course if you make to effort to get to Blackpool you have to experience the city by night, to get to see the Golden Mile. I am talking in fact about 7 miles of promenade between the North and the South piers of the city. You can find here everything from fortune tellers to fish bars, but the name comes from the abundance of slot machines that you could find all around this promenade. What I like about this part of Blackpool is the fact that here you can find the official Doctor Who exhibition.
No comments